Monitoring Services

Datapipe's monitoring services utilize a proprietary client-side application to provide an advanced level of monitoring capabilities.

Datapipe’s monitoring services have been specifically developed for use on managed servers within our network. As new platforms are introduced to our offerings, our software engineers continually develop and deploy enhancements to our monitoring. This flexibility allows Datapipe to offer the same level of advanced monitoring services across all platforms. It ensures that our monitoring capabilities will continue to evolve to meet the needs of our clients and our network, as well as the needs of our support technicians as new server hardware and software technologies are introduced.

Our monitoring services are capable of monitoring virtually all critical resources, processes and services essential to your hosting solution including the following:

Content Checking

Content checking is a process by which we request a specific page from a web site on your server and scan the page for an expected string value. The page requested as well as the expected string value (a specific word or phrase) can be fully customized. If we find the expected text on the requested page, the content check passes and the service is considered up. If we cannot load the site or the expected text is not found on the requested page the service is considered down and our technicians are notified immediately.

Database Monitoring

Database monitoring is a similar process to content checking but deals specifically with data within your database(s) as opposed to text on a page. This task is accomplished by performing a query on specific tables within a database on your database server. The monitoring system can be configured to log into your Microsoft SQL Server or MySQL database with specific user credentials and execute a stored procedure or perform a standard SELECT query on data within the database. If rows are returned from the stored procedure or SELECT query the service is considered up. If no rows are returned or the server cannot be contacted, the service is considered down and our technicians are notified immediately.

ICMP - HTTP - FTP - SMTP - SSH

ICMP (Ping), HTTP, FTP, SMTP and SSH are a few of the protocols we can monitor on your server.

• ICMP , or Ping , is monitored by default and lets us know that your server is available and responding on the network.
• HTTP can be monitored to determine whether or not your server is responding on port 80 (the default port for the hosting of web sites). This service can be monitored for the base IP on your server or specific IPs on your server.
• FTP , like HTTP , can be monitored to determine whether or not your server is responding on port 21 (the default port for hosting file transfer sites). This service, like HTTP, can be monitored on the base IP of your server or specific IPs on your server.
• SMTP , like HTTP and FTP , can be monitored to determine whether or not your server is responding on port 25 (the default port for simple mail transfer services). This service, like HTTP and FTP, can be monitored on the base IP of your server or specific IPs on your server.
• SSH , like HTTP , FTP and SMTP , can be monitored to determine whether or not your server is responding on port 22 (the default port for Secure Shell). This service, like HTTP, FTP and SMTP, can be monitored on the base IP of your server or specific IPs on your server.
• We are able to monitor additional protocols in the same fashion, these include: TCP (any port), UDP (any port), Microsoft SQL, MySQL, Oracle, Microsoft Terminal Services, etc..

Vital Services

Our monitoring is capable of recognizing any and all services considered "vital" services on your server. If a vital service goes into a critical state, our Global Response Center notifies our technicians of a potential issue with your server. This feature is ideally suited for services running on special use servers such as data servers or application servers.

CPU Utilization

We are able to monitor and provide aggregate historical data for CPU utilization on your server. Defined thresholds will change the monitored service status at particular levels of CPU utilization based on percentages.

For example:
A critical threshold for load on your CPU could be set at 90 percent at which point our Global Response Center would consider the monitored service to be in a critical state, immediately notifying our technicians of a possible issue.

Memory Utilization

Similar to CPU Utilization, we are able to monitor the percentage of memory in use on your server. If specified thresholds are reached, our Global Response Center is informed of a possible memory spike issue and in turn notifies our technicians of the potential issue with your server. Like CPU utilization, aggregate historical data is stored for memory utilization. Historical CPU and memory utilization data can be reviewed to determine when application performance tuning or server upgrades may be necessary.

Disk Storage Capacity

Our monitoring system can be configured to monitor available disk space and inform our Global Response Center when storage space is limited. Thresholds can be set to provide our technicians with adequate time to act upon a storage capacity issue that, left unaddressed, could adversely affect your solution.

Running Processes or Applications

We can monitor virtually any process, service or application running on your server. This capability provides an enhanced level of monitoring functionality for mission critical services and allows our technicians to act upon issues quickly and proactively. Our monitoring is highly adaptable and can be customized to provide advanced monitoring for unique application requirements.

Through the use of dashboard and tactical network summary views, our technicians monitor the status of servers within the network and pinpoint problematic servers and/or services quickly and efficiently. Our technicians also employ notification services to issue alerts when monitored service states change. Alerts are issued to our technicians via email and can be automatically escalated as required via cell phones, pagers and the use of text messaging.